How to Enjoy Beijing Nightlife

No longer a city of being dull and monotonous, Beijing has much to offer when night falls like other capitals around the world. It offers visitors a great variety of events and activities – extravagant dinners, exotic night snacks, breathtaking shows, romantic bars, lighted streets and buildings…

Here I recommend you some night hangouts in Beijing:

Donghuamen Night Market ( the most famous Beijing snack street )

It is a snack or food night market located close to the Wangfujing Street. The market sells various edible and exotic snack foods with over 60 specialty snack hawker stalls. Until you see it, you can’t believe it – scropions, millepedes, starfish, little squids, little sparrows, grasshoppers and beatles on sale. You have to take some risk and plenty of guts or be adventurous when taking these foods. Of course, there are also edible ones: grilled lamb kebabs, herbal, jelly drinks, fried noodles. These food are rather cheap too.

How to get there:

Take Beijing subway Line 1 and get off at the Wangfujing station. Walk along the Wangfujing Street from its south to north and turn left at the end of the walking street.

It is a 1442-meter long gourmet street, located within Dongzhimennei Dongcheng District, running from the east of Dongzhimen Bridge. The street is lined with over 100 restaurants and most of them offer 24-hour service. The business here is particularly booming at night, when the street sparkles with red lanterns lightening. Locals, expats, tourists and businessmen flock here each night. The restaurants here serve a great diversity of dishes, including Sichuan, Canton, handong dishes, as well as snacks, barbecue, and ethnic minority dishes.

ADD: 442 m from Dongzhimen cloverleaf junction in the east, to Jiaodaokou East Street in the west.

Houhai Lake Bar Area

Hou Hai Lake Area

Houhai Lake has developed into one of Beijing’s top entertainment districts. The brightly lit bars and restaurants line the shores of the small lake and offer a healthy and more civilised night out than the somewhat shabby bars in the Sanlitun district in Beijing. People come here to enjoy good beer, cheap pub food, lively crowd and plenty of sport on an array of TVs. Now this remains the finest place in the city for a quiet drink.

How to get there:

Take Subway Line 5 and get off at Zhangzizhong Station. Walk westward along Zhangzizhong Rd till Houhai Lake just opposit the north gate of Behai Lake.

This hutong has a history of over 700 years dating back to Yuan Dyansty in 13th and 14th century. Running from north to south, this lane is about 800 meters long with 16 hutongs – 8 hutongs on each side of the lane. The lane is now famous for the cafes and bars and clothing and handcraft shops that line its hutong laneways as well as its traditional hutong and courtyards (siheyuan). It is another bar area besides Houhai Lake Bar Area, Workers’Stadium and Sanlitun bar street. Nanluoguxiang is a perfect blend of past and present. It is much quieter with reasonable prices.

How to get there:

South Entrance: Take Subway Line 5 and get off at Zhangzizhong Station. Walk westward along Zhangzizhong Rd till the south entrance to Nanluoguxiang.

North Entrance: The north starting point of Nanluoguxiang is just next to No. 108-2 Gulou Dongdajie ( East Drum Tower Street )

The Place is located about 500 meters north of Guiyou Mansion or Silk Market Building. It is in the center of CBD ( Central Business Center ). The Placeis mainly composed of the huge screen in the middle and two luxury buildings on its both sides. People walk around under the screen enjoying the space art, high technique, lighting. The Place is alao a place for luxury shopping and gourmet experience. There are several open-air bars for you to relax. The Place is a blend of shopping mall, office building, Space Art and Fashion. The Place is designed by Jeremy Railton. He is also the designer for the world largest electric screen in Las Vegas.

The business hours: From 10：00 to 22：00.

The show time of Skymedia:

Summer: From 19：30 to 22：00

Winter: From 18：00 to 22：00

ADD: 9 Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, that is the east side of the Dongdaqiao Road.

How to get there:

Take the No 28, 43, 120, 126 bus, and get off at Fangcaodi station or Fangcaodinan station; or take the Subway Line 1 and get off at Yonganli station, then come out from Entrance C and walk northward, it will take you about 15 minutes; or take the No 10 metro line and get off at Jintaixinzhao station, then come out from Entrance D and walk westward, it will take you about 10 minutes.

Tel: 010-65871188

Acrobatic Shows in Beijing
With a history of more than three thousand years, Chinese acrobatics has been praised as “A pearl of Oriental art”. When watching a Chinese acrobatics show, you will be strongly attracted both mentally and physically. The acrobatic show is combined on the base of dance and opera arts, compositions, stage design, costume, light and sound.
Every night several acrobatic theaters put on acrobatic shows in Beijing.

Chaoyang Acrobatic Theater:

Address: 36 North Road, Chaoyang District

How to get there:

Take Subway Line 10 to Hujialou Station, Exit C. Turn left as you exit and just cross the alley. Chaoyang Theater is right there. The ticket office is on the right side facing the main entrance.

Tel: 8610 – 65072421

Beijing Opera( Peking Opera )
If you are a first-time visitor to Beijing, then enjoying Beijing Opera should be covered on your must-do-things in Beijing. The acrobatic opera is enjoyed all over China. Featuring athletic gymnastic feats and warrior arts, it has been developed into a broad martial-style of opera recognizable for its use of acrobats and stunts.Liyuan TheatreAdd: 1/F Qianmen Hotel, Yongan Road, Hufangqiao, Xuanwu District, Beijing
Tel: 63540841
Bus: Take bus NO.19,40,59,61,122,819 and get off at Hufangqiao stop
Ticket: 20—150yuanChang’an Grand Theatre
Add:In the Guanghua Chang an piazza ,East Chang an Avenue
Tel:65101309
Time:afternoon and evening show
Ticket: 20—180yuanHuguang Huiguan Ancient Opera Building
Add: 3 Hufang Road, Xuanwu District ,Beijing
Tel: 63529134
Time: 9: 00—19: 00 closed on Monday
Bus: Take buses NO.5,6,23,50,53,102,105 and get off at Hufangqiao stop
Ticket: 150 yuan

Kung Fu Show

The magnificent wushu is the crystallization of human wisdom. In the boundless world of great wushu, the Shaolin kung fu, as a glittering pearl of wushu has been bright with radiating rays. Its broad and profound connotation, its mysterious and subtle skills command respect among heroes all over the world.

The teahouse is named after famous Chinese novelist and playwright, Lao She, and his masterpiece drama, “Teahouse”. It is a teahouse with short shows by comedians, singers, musicians, acrobats and opera performers. You can have a rich review of Beijing culture while enjoying tea with light snacks.

Laoshe Teahouse is located in the busy shopping area to the west of the Qianmen Gate Arrow Tower on the southern edge of Tian’anmen Square.

How to get there:

Take Subway Line 2 and get off at Qianmen Station. Walk westward and on your left side you will spot the teahouse – 老舍茶馆.

Beijing Hard Rock

This hard rock is adjoined to Landmark Hotel. The restaurant entrance boasts a bright red 1960 vintage Cadillac, a huge neon-lit guitar, and marble piano keys that pave the way to the Cafe. The interior offers an 8-metre-wide dome, painted with images of Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and popular tourist spots such as Tiananmen Square and Temple of Heaven.

See Beijing that comes to life at night with all the major sights spectacularly floodlit – Olympic Stadium ( Bird Nest ), Water Cube, Beijing CBD & SOHO Business Street, Ancient City Wall, Changan Street, Tiananmen Sqaure, National Grand Theatre, Beijing Bank Street ( China Wall Street ), and Houhai Lake Bar Street and much more to be offered!

Each year 1500,0000 people visit Forbidden City with the highest day visiting volume at 70,000 – 80,000 people. The Forbidden City administration has been trying various means to divert the visiting volume. Now people may book the tickets online and swipe their ID cards ( Chinese ID card ) at the entrance gate. But the booking website is in Chinese and they don’t accept passports for ticket booking.

Today I’ve just learn a piece of news about Forbidden City ticketing. For the successive three days ( Sept 12-14), people who enter Forbidden City after 2:00 pm will be entitled to half price for the admission to Forbidden City, a trial operation to divert the huge visiting volume in the morning.

So alternatively, you may visit Forbidden City to avoid the huge crowds. Have a good time in Beijing!

Check out the link for more information on how to visit Forbidden City: